Tag Archives: give away

Misty Evans was an author I never read until I did a review of her book with her friend and mine Adrienne Giordano. After that I had her on the blog again for the first of her Shadow Force novels. … Continue reading →

Hi today I’m pleased to be a part of the Blog Hop featuring Chris Aubrey and Cecilia Aubrey. Their book is part of a set called Eight Nights with a Hero.

Wow, that sounds like a great way to spend eight nights. Especially this time of year with the long cold winter nights settling into some parts of the world.

Cecilia and Chris’s book is entitled Counter Measures. It’s about an ex-CIA agent named Cassandra James. Here is an excerpt to tease your senses. Buy links for the boxed set are below but first here’s the excerpt and a little bit of information about the two authors who wrote the book Counter Measures.

Writing had touched Award Winning Authors Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey in different ways through the years but had never taken flight until 2010, when Chris and Cecilia met and began role-playing online as a hobby. It was through playing fictional characters in a sort of improv written theater, that writing took a central position in their lives. The transition from role playing to novel writing was smooth and they attribute the ease of writing realistic characters to their ability to live the scenes ‘through role play.

Chris and Cecilia have since chosen to release all their titles independently. They have several short stories and two novels published under their own label, Éire Publishing, and are vocal supporters of independent publishing done right. They are currently working on the next novel in their series. Through all the chaos and laughter, they still hold true to their roots, bringing their favorite role-play characters and stories to life. Website | Facebook |Twitter | Newsletter

I think that’s interesting that your role play game brought you to write novels. I’ve heard that for deep characterization role play games are excellent ways to learn.

Blurb for Countermeasure (Countermeasure Series, Book 1)

In the first novel of the Romantic Suspense series, tenacious ex-CIA agent Cassandra James is in hot water. A cyber thief stole sensitive information from her father’s top client – information she was supposed to keep secure – and now she could lose her job, even if she is the boss’ daughter. The only person who can help her recover the stolen data is sexy NSA analyst Trevor Bauer – a computer mastermind who’s broken through her personal security and might break her heart as well.

Trevor is on the hunt for answers to the mystery surrounding his parents’ disappearance. Following a promising lead into the missing Bristol files, he accidentally gets on the radar of a woman too hot to handle…and a mercenary willing to do anything to keep both of them from recovering those files.

To track down the thief, Trevor and Cassandra must embark on a harrowing adventure that leads them across the ocean and into a world of intrigue, danger, and passion. But as they close in on their target, their relationship begins to boil, jeopardizing their mission as well as their very lives. Will they learn to trust their instincts – and each other – in order to survive?

Excerpt from Countermeasure

The silence between them had grown to an unbearable level. As they walked out of the elevator toward their rooms, Trevor, unable to contain his thoughts any longer, voiced them. “You don’t care one bit about me.”

Based on her quick reply, Trevor saw Cassandra knew exactly to what he was referring. “I told you already, I didn’t have time to contact or come back for you. We would have lost her. Days of surveillance down the drain. It was a miracle I ran into her in the first place.”

Trevor was quickly losing patience at her refusal to accept that following Allison without back-up had been a mistake. “All I expected was the courtesy of you telling me you were off trailing Allison so I could back you up.”

“You need to stop being obsessive about this. I did what I thought was right. I found her and came back for you. I wasn’t going to leave you there all night.” She looked at him with angry narrowed eyes. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t need this. I had to put up with the same possessive attitude from Nate. Neither of you own me.”

“Cassandra,” he said calmly. “This is not just about you not letting me know right away what was happening. You have to understand that this is about you going off on your own. You could have texted me. I’m your partner in this. I would have followed to give you back-up and, in the end, we would have saved time.”

Without a word, she turned her back to him and headed for her door. Before she could reach it, Trevor grabbed her arm and pinned her to the wall. Cassandra struggled and Trevor groaned inside at the feel of her body pressed tight against his. “Damn it, Cassandra. Hold still for a second.”

Her heart drummed rapidly against his chest and he saw her pulse beating at the base of her throat. He didn’t like using his size against her, but he needed her to understand. “This is not about obsession, and I sure as hell am not like your friend, who, by the way, sounds like an ass. This is about friends caring about friends. You said you wanted us to be friends. You wanted us to be a team, and yet you took off and never checked back with me. The next thing I knew, almost an hour had gone by and I had no clue where you were. We know there is something bigger happening behind the scenes, that Allison didn’t act alone. What if you had been hurt?”

“I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself,” Cassandra breathed hard in agitation, and bucked against him, still trying to push his body away.

Trevor banked the urge to press harder against her. He continued to pin her arms above her head and put some space between them. “I know you can take care of yourself, but friends are going to worry about your well-being, whether you want it or not—whether you like it or not.”

Trevor grew distracted by the feel of Cassandra’s sweet breath against his skin and leaned slightly forward. “All I’m asking is that you let me know next time so I can be there for you. With you.”

By the time he finished his statement, his lips were mere inches from hers. His mind went into overdrive and the need to taste the texture of her lips overrode his common sense. When her lips parted to protest, he silenced her by capturing her mouth with his.

The kiss made him numb to his surroundings. His sole focus became the softness of her full lips and the mingling of their tastes. Slowly, he released her hands and cupped her face with his, deepening the kiss. A jolt of electricity hit him when she responded, kissing him back just as urgently. Her freed hands gripped his forearms tightly and the kiss grew hot and deep—tongues exploring, teeth nipping.

In a flash, Cassandra pushed him from her. Both froze and stared into each other’s eyes. Before he could comment, she slipped into her room and softly closed the door between them. Trevor stared at the door and ran his fingers through his hair. His arms felt empty without her. The taste of her on his lips was sweeter than he had ever dreamed. It only made him want her more and filled him with a desire to taste her over and over again.

Please welcome Donnell Ann Bell to my blog. Below are a few words about her fantastic book and an excerpt. There’s a raffle copter to go with it. So post those comments and share the news.

I know Donnell from the Romance Writers of America Romance Suspense/Mystery Chapter aka Kiss of Death. Donnell is well known in our chapter for her books and helpfulness. Enter to win a copy of her book Buried Agendas or one of her great Dammit Dolls. Read on to find out how you can win. You can also scoop up a copy at your favorite places to buy books. The links are listed below.

A devastating secret drove her from the man she loved. Will a secret equally as deadly lead her back to him?

Diana Reid is an investigative reporter skilled at uncovering other people’s secrets. It’s her own she works to keep buried. Eight years earlier, she promised to leave her fiancé and hometown of Diamond, Texas forever. That pledge vanishes when she receives a letter stating people are going to die, implicating her hometown’s largest employer, and making a veiled threat against her mother. With no other choice, Diana will return to Diamond, albeit in disguise, to discover the anonymous author.

Brad Jordan moved on with his life after Diana walked out on him. Just as he rebuilt his life, as the newly elected mayor of Diamond, and newly engaged to be married, he plans to rebuild his struggling hometown. Those plans are threatened when an El Paso physician notifies Brad that she believes his family’s company, Jordan Industries, is conducting illegal practices and sacrificing the public’s health.

When the doctor suggests bringing in Diana to uncover the wrongdoing, Brad strongly opposes the idea. Still, when she appears despite his wishes, he’s forced to accept that a woman he vowed to forget may be his only option to get to the truth. Together Diana Reid and Brad Jordan face a dangerous adversary—one whose only intent is keeping a deadly agenda buried.

About the Author

Donnell Ann Bell grew up in New Mexico and today lives in Colorado. A homebody at heart, she concentrates on suspense that might happen in her neck of the woods – writing SUSPENSE TOO CLOSE TO HOME. She is the author of The Past Came Hunting, Deadly Recall and Betrayed, all of which have been e-book best sellers. Buried Agendas is her newest release. Along with veteran police officer Wally Lind, Donnell co-owns Crimescenewriters, a Yahoo group putting law enforcement experts together with writers. Donnell loves to hear from readers.

As part of the blog tour, Donnell will be giving away 5 copies of Buried Agendas (US/Canada only) and

5 Dammit Dolls (US/Canada only). Fill out the Rafflecopter form to enter!

Not sure what a Dammit Doll is? Well, here is the little saying that each doll comes with:

Whenever things don’t go so well and you want to hit the wall and yell, here’s a little dammit doll that you can’t do without. Just grasp it firmly by the legs and find a place to slam it. And as you whack the Stuffing out yell, “Dammit, Dammit! Dammit!

Diana curbed a jealous retort and moved to the nightstand. She yanked open a top drawer and withdrew the want ads she’d skimmed early that morning after she’d checked in. In bright red, she’d circled, Help wanted, mailroom clerk, Jordan Industries. High school diploma, drug test required.

For the first time, he smiled. The old Brad, the Brad she thought she knew. “What name did you use?”

“Candace Armstrong.”

“Okay.” He motioned to the letter. “So how can a mailroom employee find out what the author meant by ‘people are going to die’?”

“The same way I do every story, by asking questions.”

“Who’s Ronnie?”

“Who?”

Brad pointed to the tattoo on her ankle.

“Oh,” Diana smiled. “He’s no one.”

Brad’s gaze shot to her face, and for a second, she thought she saw pain. Don’t be absurd. The man’s engaged. Irrationally, Diana felt betrayed.

“Seriously, he’s no one. Ronnie doesn’t exist. And neither does this tattoo. It’s henna, and part of my disguise.”

Brad shook his head and he scowled. “You swear to me you didn’t talk to Liz this week.”

“I swear, I haven’t spoken to her . . .” But maybe I should.

“Give me one reason to go along with this?”

Diana lowered her head. She wanted to tell him because the Brad Jordan she’d once known stood for integrity and honesty. The Brad Jordan she’d loved, and unfortunately still did, had wanted to make a difference. She couldn’t believe he’d run for a mayoral position if that wasn’t still true.

Lifting her head, she met his gaze. “Because you know I had nothing to do with that letter, and you want to know what’s going on, too.”

As he traversed the dingy hotel room, Diana sensed he was wavering. He’d asked too many questions to turn her away now. If he said yes, she had a long list to accomplish before Monday. She’d take her physical, head for El Paso, and spend her weekend at the library researching Jordan Industries.

Brad stopped pacing. “I have no doubt that you’re worried about your mom. But when you said you weren’t out to hurt me or Jordan Industries, were you being truthful?”

“I meant every word.”

“All right. I’ll give you two weeks to investigate if you go along with the following conditions.”

She swallowed. “I’m listening.”

“If, after two weeks, you’ve found nothing, you’ll give up this charade and go home.”

She stared back at him. Diana could easily agree to Brad’s terms. She expelled a pent-up breath. “I accept that condition.”

“Second, you will never report a word of what you find or release a word to the media. If you do, I have more than enough witnesses to prove you entered Jordan Industries illegally, and I’ll file charges against you.”

He unrolled his sleeves and grabbed his tie. “I’m saying no way in hell will I allow negative information against my family’s company to benefit your career. I don’t trust you, Diana, especially after what I saw today. We’ll see if you’re really concerned about your mother, or if you’re after a story.” Brad opened the door. “You don’t have to agree to the second part of my conditions right now. I’ll have my answer when you don’t show up on Monday.”